Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-13
for THE SUNDAY M
FLEURETTE.
Ry MATT. W. ANDERSON.
P L.
uowIHAPpENEp TO MEET HER.

CHAPTER l.
HOW TO MEET HER
nurinS part of the winter OF 1913 an
ON was in the employ OF the Cover
-.onta at Fort Peck Indian Agency on u
na,ouri river. At the time OF which
va Twas delegated to make Il trip t
W,sbinpton, ID. c., with important CO.
1ment papers. The winter had been q
Usually severe one, and communicate
18th forts below Us on the Missouri rive
va bpen kept up with difficulty. As
N~.o1Iect we had not been in commuaics
ion with Fort Buford, our nearest neigf
w. for over a month. The prospect of
trp to that place, therefore, in mid winter
hon there was no sign of a road, throug
- Indian country. wal not IN invitin
:. However, the trip must be made and
.othing daunted, 1 set about making tn
neeessary preparations.
Two half breed sleds were rugged up wit
,.ddinc and other articles to make the tri]
comfortable as possible and grub enoug|
~,ov;ded to last us twice as long as woul,
p occupied in making the trip. An EN-
t.ove at the fort was delegated to accom-
pmrv me and we started in higl
ip"iriits. myself especially so, in that it wa,
" he nv first trip to the distant East, O
|~bcb had read so much.
Our trip from Fort Peck to the mouth O
Mix River was made as easily as if we wer,
.rsveling on paved streets, the road hein,
unrn smooth by the constant passing tc
and fro of Indians camped for the winter
W. the river bottoms below the fort. Below
.bis everything was a trackless waste. Ny
ravsHng companion had been over the
,asd frequently, but where there was nc
,oad to follow he possessed little advant'
ase over a person who had never seen it.
Our only hope OF passing q comfortable
night was in being SO fortunate as to reach
tbe friendly shelter of some woodchopper's
cabin in one of the timbered points. Bust.
ness on the river had been good the yeal
previous and it was believed that 1874
would be still better. As a consequence
there were more persons engaged in cutting
wood along the river banks to sell te
steamboats, in the coming summer thar
for several years prior. We were told that
there was a woodchopper's camp at VOL
lOlnb anu OIc dlbO ~ ! OpIhI OlCOhs WV
hoped to reach the first place-45 miles
dstant-the first night and the latter place
rs miles from Fort Peck-on the second
night.
10 that northern Latitude the nights
we're almost rs clear as day, and on the
first night we Travelled late in the hope oil
| reaching the looked-for shelter. In this,
however, we were disappointed, and were
compelled to camp in a little bunch of tim
her on the upper side of Wolf Point.
We drove up under the sheltering
branches OF two trees standing close to.
ptber, and unhitching our horses. turned
them out to get what little food they could
by paving away the snow from the grass
underneath.
Gathering a few dry branches we broke
them into short lengths. poured some kero-
sene oil on from a bottle carried with US
for the purpose, and soon bad a camp fire
whereon we prepared our evening meal. l
confess to an utter lack OF admiration for
camp fires. Somehow you can never get
on any side of one but the smoke will curl
I'D in your face. Then, in the winter time,
as you stand shivering in the cold, trying
to warm one side Of yourself, you are at
an utter loss to know how to dispose of
the other side so AS to feel at all comfort
able. | ave heard people go into costa
sizes over a meal cooked over a camp fire,
but is it not the appetite
generated by exercise in the open
air that lends zest to what
YOU eat rather than the superior cooking?
How much comfort would you take eating
a steak in your cosy diningroom at home
that had been cooked out doors over q |
camp fire and plentifully sprinkled with
ashes which occasional puffs OF wind assist
into the frying-pan? Methinks If your
cook were to offer you one unawares you
would feel angry enough to discharge him
,pn the spot.
We were tired and hungry. We had been
compelled to tramp a roadway / n many a
tavine during the day before we could get |
our horses through with safety. To do
tMs, dressed in heavy winter clothing, was
work which developed al appetite, and,
while | have no idea that what we cooked |
that night would be at all palatable under
ordinary circumstances, l we'll remember
that everything prepared was eaten with a
relish.
We scraped away the snow from what
appeared to be a level piece of ground and,
making a bed OF robes and blankets. we
tlmbled IN and were soon sound asleep.
We awoke in the morning somewhat re-
.preshed, but with our joints tired and sore
Prom sleeping on a bed where wire springs
were not Indigenous to the soil.
Aswe stood up and readjusted our cloth
Png, one OF the first sights that greeted US
(sas the smoke from the chimney OF a cabin
Jess than a mile away. The inmates were
Po doubt up and preparing the morning
lneal. We determined to take part with
Them.
In such a situation one is led to ponder
how strange it is that a man will often
pines stop short. a few steps only, and miss
fhe goal for which he is striving. There are
Pther things than the inside OF house that
! man may miss attaining. Ihave known
! man to run for Office and wake UP some
Pine morning to find that his opponent had
ceived just q few o votes than him
|eN. | have even known a man to court q
roman and get left when by asking her
or twice more he might have won.
After breakfast with the woodchoppers
Ee wasted no time in pushing on our way.
wished to reach Poplar Creek il posi-
Die before dark. and, fortunately, accom-
)llshed our purpose. |
Have you ever passed a night in a cabin
from the busy hum OF the civilized
gorld? II not, you have missed a rare
llreat. How eager the inmates are to ascer-
the latest intelligence Of what is going
In the world. Everything has been a
Plank to them. perhaps, for months and
oV ~ardentIy thew listen. How we'll they
Fmember and talk over for weeks all that !
as been said. And what a museum OF !
[%alrOsities one will often find in such
PArs. Men of cratic genius. Men with ..
O appetite beyond their control and who
ave gone where temptation will seldom .
each them. Men who have been disap- .
onted and who, not being strong enough
Y rise above their misfortunes, financial i.
na otherwise, have soured on life and got .
: lar away from their fellow creatures as :
possible. I
Men you will find in these out OF the .
a places gifted in many respects, and !
tsKlng only an opportunity or failing to .
Gahe an opportunity wherein they might =
(%.s'ngulsh themselves. Artists, the work =
1 whose hands graces every side OF the =
toln' poets, whose stanzas might touch :
Sares less tender; readers, whose knowl- 6
|asto OF history might be put to profitable ;.
n academies; mechanics, whose skill .
["0u furnish a comfortable living otonly .
= himself, but for some woman who =
, De proud to have such a man for a |.
Ipepand and provider. !,
pat am DEPRESSING. =
a'Ier a comfortable fight in the cabin OF =
op. soodchoppers at Poplar creek, we Y
%,,ihned our journey, and reached Fort o.
PGciord late at night. v
'eheral HaZen was in command of b F"